Mark McGwire to coach

[BrewersSuperCollector]

ESPN and rotoworld is reporting that Mark McGwire may have a deal to be the Cardinals hitting coach in 2010.

[jerichoholicninja]

Link

[craigharmann]

Will definitely be interesting to see how McGwire's hitting philosophy will be. Bulk up, use andro and swing for the fences?

[PKBadger]

That's a pretty classy hire.

[hawing]

I guess STL is opting for dingers over the terrifying truth. At least you can't say they turn their back on users.

 

(Edited to refine Simpsons paraphrase)

[Patrick425]

I was completely shocked when I heard this earlier today. McGwire has pretty much gone in hiding since his retirement I assumed this was mostly from shame and not wanting to answer any more questions regarding steroids. I never thought he would even accept a coaching position.

 

I'm wondering if he's been sitting and watching guys like ARod and Ramirez just keep playing the game and getting accepted by most of the fans (home town at least) and media as if nothing ever happened. I'm a bit bothered by how indifferent the media, fans, and MLB has become towards steroids and the players who have been caught using them.

[pitchleague]

Good for Mac, I kind of miss seeing the guy around.

 

Of course, I'll probably laugh pretty hysterically if he is anything close to "scrawny" compared to what he used to look like.

[bigredrobbo]

Wouldn't it be funny if every interview with the media starts with "so Mark, about those steroids...."

[DHonks]

Don't forget that McGwire was always a class act. He was always a very good hitter.

[Tisko]

He better clear somethings up right now during the off season if he doesn't want to be a distraction during the season.

[Invader3K]

This seems weird to me. Has McGwire worked as a coach or instructor in the minors or anything before? He was a great hitter in his time, but usually those aren't the kind of guys that make for good hitting coaches. This seems more like a P.R. move to rally the fans after a disappointing post-season for St. Louis. This also seems to signal that LaRussa will be returning as manager next year.

 

That said, I don't have a personal beef with the guy. Yeah, he most likely cheated, but so did hundreds of other players during his era. I kind of hope everyone just moves on and forgets about it at this point.

[CheezWizHed]

Right now, the last image people have of the guy is his Senate hearing. And the word is that he isn't going to make the HOF.

 

So, how much of this (at least on MM's part) is meant to "reintroduce" to fans, get over the steriod thing, make a better last impression on fans, and increase his chances of making the HOF?

[TheFyl]

I'm wondering if he's been sitting and watching guys like ARod and Ramirez just keep playing the game and getting accepted by most of the fans (home town at least) and media as if nothing ever happened. I'm a bit bothered by how indifferent the media, fans, and MLB has become towards steroids and the players who have been caught using them.

 

I like this comment, and I agree. These guys were bigger cheaters than Pete Rose in my opinion and look Mark jumps back into the game after being retired for what 8 seasons? Come on, he shouldn't be anywhere near the field. Tony screwed up on this one. McGwire: "Hey Pujols will you pop the pimples on my back?" I also think it would be funny if somehow he lost all his bulk and looked like the Mark McGwire of the oakland A's, when at least he was respectable and still a feared hitter

[TooLiveBrew]

So, how much of this (at least on MM's part) is meant to "reintroduce" to fans, get over the steriod thing, make a better last impression on fans, and increase his chances of making the HOF?

 

That's what I thought when I saw this hire, Cheez Wiz. Given LaRussa's man-crush on Mac, his job security has to be pretty solid, and if the Cardinals improve on their 2009 offense, bam -- he's a savior & all-around classy guy.

[mothershipconnection]

"No guys, you've gotta shoot that in your butt cheeks: steroids isn't something you shoot intravenously. Steroids is the only way you're gonna hit massive dingers."

 

I liked McGwire back in the late 80's, but he's going to have to be a heckuva hitting coach to make up for the heat that'll follow him now.

[yoda knows all]

A big part of McGuire's success was due to opposing pitchers refusing to pitch inside to him. They's just let him dig in. The few times that he did get dusted, he'd become unglued, just like the Princess.

[Thurston Fluff]

If there ever was a guy whose batting average tells us more about his true hitting ability than OBP it is Mac. A lot of his OBP is due to his power treat which was enhanced. If he would have been an average power threat pitchers wouldn't have been afraid to pitch to him. That is why I wonder how much a career .260 hitter who needed chemical help to get there really has to offer in his first coaching gig.

[TooLiveBrew]

The name of the game in baseball is to get on base, & hit the ball hard. Those are the two most important skills a batter can possess. I get what you're saying about Big Mac perhaps needing to create his power via the chemical route, but he was highly regarded enough out of college to get drafted at #10 overall (& in the 8th round by the Expos out of H.S. in 1981), so it's not like he didn't show promise as a hitter prior to said chemicals.

 

The Brewers' hitting coach posted a career MLB batting line of .236/.298/.378/.676 -- Sveum didn't get on base well, hit for average, and certainly didn't hit for power. I would imagine McGwire can at least be a useful resource for guys that need to improve pitch selection. Of course, both of us know this hire really isn't about how good or bad of a hitting coach McGwire will be. It's more of a PR play, since hitting coaches just don't make much of a tangible impact anyway at the big-league level.

[CheezWizHed]

One of the last things you want in a hitting coach is hitting talent. Its the guys that had to squeeze every last drop of talent to make it in the big leagues. The guys that really know the mechanics of hitting and how to teach it to others.

 

Remember Rod Carew's hitting coach days? The guy was a great hitter, but either didn't know the first thing about it or just couldn't teach it.

[jwill535]

Correct, like in golf, the best teachers tend to be average to slightly above average golfers. The guys that the game comes easy to(Braun, Bonds, Puljos, Arod etc) do not really know what it is to struggle and find your swing, it just comes natural. Look at the NBA, the best coaches were bench players or scrubs when they played.

[DHonks]

I think McGwire could be a very good hitting coach based on his personality and that he was rather one-dimensional. He never hit for a great average, seeing that on a decent amount of balls he never had to even jog to first. I think he probably can help the average hitters more than the power hitters

[craigharmann]

If Rob Deer can be a hitting coach.......

[The Truth]

I will boo him, most definitely

[Schlitz001]

Lesson #1 for the Cardinal hitters:

 

Steroids is bad. Don't do 'em.

[bullox]

Random press conference during a period where the Cards bats are cold, sometime in 2010:

 

"So Mac, what can be done to correct the issues with the offense?"

 

"I'm not here to talk about the past."